How to reclaim your rhythm after the holiday daze, at work and beyond    

Holidays give us more than memories. The post-vacation feeling lingers within us, in laid-back routines, disrupted sleep cycles, and leisurely days that seem to blur into one another. We’re slower when it comes to clawing back into the world of routine and expectations, but the world rarely extends the courtesy of patience. Calendars refill, notifications resume, the claim on your time is everywhere—the pressure can be alarming. But returning to efficiency after indulgence doesn’t have to mean self-denial or rigid discipline.

Here’s how you can claim speed with refinement, without forcing yourself to over-extend.

The myth of optimisation

Not every waking hour needs to look like productivity in its maximalist glory. You just need to be discerning. The pressure to “catch up” often leads to scattered energy and shallow focus. Instead, identify two to three non-negotiables for the week, and approach the rest with a sort of diffused clarity. When your attention is not divided, your output becomes sharper, your decisions more confident, and your presence more complete. Efficiency is not doing more; it is doing fewer things exceptionally well.

Start with mornings that feel considered, not rushed

There is a simple pleasure to unhurried mornings. Rather than forcing an abrupt return to rigid routines, plan a morning ritual that gently signals intention. This might mean waking 20 minutes earlier to enjoy silence, reading a few pages of something beautiful, or preparing a proper breakfast instead of gulping down a granola bar on the go. Let the goal be composure. When you begin the day feeling centred rather than reactive, efficiency follows naturally. Write a simple to-do list for the day, with steps aligning with the two to three goals you’ve set for the week, and one simple, fun task just for yourself. This could be as simple as lighting a scented candle or even as elaborate as organising a spa day for the weekend, so you have something to look forward to.

The power of a soft reset

The idea of a “reset” has become unnecessarily aggressive. There is no need to overhaul your life because a few days or weeks felt indulgent. Instead of dramatic detoxes or extreme routines, opt for subtle recalibrations: earlier nights, lighter meals during the week, more water, lesser screentime. January productivity often fails because it demands summer-level output from winter energy. Efficiency becomes sustainable when you work with your natural cycles. Accept that this season favours depth over speed, thought over execution. Fewer tasks, completed with greater intention. Instead of hour-long marathons, work in focused intervals followed by genuine breaks—walks, stretching, moments of stillness. This rhythm preserves energy rather than draining it, ensuring consistency long after motivation fades.

Let go of the urgency, if it can genuinely wait 

Much of post-holiday stress comes from the illusion that everything requires immediate attention. Design your day before it gets ahead of you by calmly writing down the immediate goals for the day. Work in finite, protected blocks. Constant accessibility is the enemy of meaningful output. Work in deliberately closed windows, say, 90-minute focus blocks where notifications are silenced, and you focus solely upon the task at hand. Indecision quietly drains more time than mistakes ever will. Efficient people set decision deadlines and gather only the information necessary to move forward—not every possible input. Don’t take everything everyone says or expects personally; only you know how much you can handle, so stay within your wellness zone.

Protect your me-time

Evenings are not an extension of the workday; they are preparation for the next one. Always remember an unfinished day bleeds into the next. Before evenings begin, take five minutes to close the day intentionally—make a note of what’s complete, outline tomorrow’s priorities, and clear open loops. This small ritual prevents mental clutter from following you into rest. Post-holiday efficiency depends heavily on how nights are spent. This means conscious choices: less scrolling, more winding down. Real conversations, a book instead of a screen. A well-protected evening is an investment. It ensures mornings arrive with ease rather than exhaustion.

When approached with the same care we give to beauty, fashion, and living well, productivity becomes something elegant rather than exhausting. At work, cluster meetings wherever possible. Protect pockets of uninterrupted time. Leave room for transition between calls, between tasks, between roles. After all, efficiency lives in the margins we often forget to create.

Lead image: Getty 

Also read: Start January with books that ask us to reflect on who we are and what shapes us

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